The Dreaded RIE (Request for initial evidence)

[herman3454]

Hello,

I'm in the process of sponsoring my wife for AoS. I submitted the I-485 recently and received a request for initial evidence. My salary is well above the poverty guidelines, but I do have two very important questions:

First, the letter states that I need to submit evidence of my current income, and that such evidence should include the following: "Letter of employment containing the following: Dates of employment, nature of the job, wages or salary earned, number of hours per week worked, and prospects for future employment and advancement."

I have spent days on the phone with HR at my company, and the best they can provide me with is a printable screen in the "myHR" system that shows my employer (them), my department, my employment status as "active", my salary, my title, etc.

I was also able to find documentation that looks like it's essentially what companies use to verify your employment history when they hire you. My problem here is that none of this looks official (it's not an official letter on company letterhead or anything like that. It's basically just a screenshot of my HR information printed out), and it also doesn't include the nature of my job or my prospects for future employment and advancement. Again, I've spent days on the phone with my HR department, and they claim that this is all they offer as far as employment verification for immigration purposes.

Second, the letter states that I need to provide supporting tax documentation for the most recent tax year. Since the new year has come, does that mean I need to provide my 2016 tax information? If so, it's impossible for me to do so, since I haven't even received my W-2 yet! Would 2015 suffice since we started this whole process a month ago in 2016?

Thank you for any help that you can provide. I greatly appreciate it. I'm sure most of you understand how difficult and stressful this situation is!

[Turk]

Have you and if you did, what, did you submit as a proof of your income when you first filed your application?

This is what i-864 instructions state:

"For example, you may include a recent letter from your employer, showing your employer’s address and telephone number, and indicating your annual salary.
You may also provide pay stubs showing your income for the previous six months."

I am guessing whoever you are talking to at your company's HR, doesn't know how to and saying they can't, or just doesn't want to give you a letter because it's quite simple and I had those letters from all the companies I worked for so far. It's hard to imagine you would be the first person to ask for that. You could try to find someone else at HR, maybe someone else higher up from that person you talked earlier. Maybe your manager can understand and find someone who can do it. Depending on your company size and structure maybe even your manager can provide one. Maybe write a petition including your RFE? just throwing out there.

This is what I got when I asked for one:

"Date

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to confirm that X Y began employment with AB company on January, 31 2000, as an xyz.

X Y's current salary is $X annually.

HR bla bla
123-12312312"

[Adrian Gruber]

Hello,

I'm in the process of sponsoring my wife for AoS. I submitted the I-485 recently and received a request for initial evidence. My salary is well above the poverty guidelines, but I do have two very important questions:

First, the letter states that I need to submit evidence of my current income, and that such evidence should include the following: "Letter of employment containing the following: Dates of employment, nature of the job, wages or salary earned, number of hours per week worked, and prospects for future employment and advancement."

I have spent days on the phone with HR at my company, and the best they can provide me with is a printable screen in the "myHR" system that shows my employer (them), my department, my employment status as "active", my salary, my title, etc.

I was also able to find documentation that looks like it's essentially what companies use to verify your employment history when they hire you. My problem here is that none of this looks official (it's not an official letter on company letterhead or anything like that. It's basically just a screenshot of my HR information printed out), and it also doesn't include the nature of my job or my prospects for future employment and advancement. Again, I've spent days on the phone with my HR department, and they claim that this is all they offer as far as employment verification for immigration purposes.

Second, the letter states that I need to provide supporting tax documentation for the most recent tax year. Since the new year has come, does that mean I need to provide my 2016 tax information? If so, it's impossible for me to do so, since I haven't even received my W-2 yet! Would 2015 suffice since we started this whole process a month ago in 2016?

Thank you for any help that you can provide. I greatly appreciate it. I'm sure most of you understand how difficult and stressful this situation is!

Your last payroll stub should suffice as it has all your income history for last year, since the new year payroll has not hit yet as you are probably paid bi-weekly?
Use last years 2015 tax returns as the 2016 w-2's have not been issued yet, by law they are issued by 1/21
Cheers.